Fermilab Scientists Cautiously Excited...
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Fermilab Scientists Cautiously Excited About Possible New Particle by webdesk@voanews.com (Kane Farabaugh)
At the European Organization for Nuclear Research facility in Switzerland, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator is about to begin producing six times the amount of data previously available to scientists. As the Large Hadron Collider returns to full operation, scientists at Fermilab, America's premier particle physics lab, are excited about a tantalizing discovery made at the Swiss-based facility. VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports.
US to Switch On European Missile Shield Despite Russian Alarm by webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
The United States' European missile defense shield goes live on Thursday almost a decade after Washington proposed protecting NATO from Iranian rockets and despite Russian warnings that the West is threatening the peace in central Europe. Amid high Russia-West tension, U.S. and NATO officials will declare operational the shield at a remote air base in Deveselu, Romania, after years of planning, billions of dollars in investment and failed attempts to assuage Russian concerns that the shield could be used against Moscow. "We now have the capability to protect NATO in Europe," said Robert Bell, a NATO-based envoy of U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. "The Iranians are increasing their capabilities and we have to be ahead of that. The system is not aimed against Russia," he told reporters, adding that the system will soon be handed over to NATO command. The United States will also start construction on a second site in Poland on Friday that is due to be ready in 2018, giving NATO a permanent, round-the-clock shield in addition to radars and ships already in the Mediterranean. Russia is incensed at such of show of force by its Cold War rival in formerly communist-ruled eastern Europe where it once held sway. Moscow says the U.S.-led alliance is trying to encircle it close to the strategically important Black Sea, home to a Russian naval fleet and where NATO is also considering increasing patrols. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow, in comments on Russian news agencies, said Iran's missile program posed no threat to NATO states in Europe and called the U.S. move a mistake and a treaty violation that directly affected Russia's national security. The readying of the shield also comes as NATO prepares a new deterrent in Poland and the Baltics, following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. In response, Russia is reinforcing its western and southern flanks with three new divisions. ‘First strike’ capability Despite U.S. assurances, the Kremlin says the missile shield's real aim is to neutralize Moscow's nuclear arsenal long enough for the United States to make a first strike on Russia in the event of war. The shield relies on radars to detect a ballistic missile launch into space. Tracking sensors then measure the rocket's trajectory and intercept and destroy it in space, before it re-enters the earth's atmosphere. The interceptors can be fired from ships or ground sites. The Russian ambassador to Denmark warned a year ago that Danish warships would become targets for Russian nuclear missiles if Denmark joined the shield project by installing radars on its vessels. Denmark is upgrading at least one frigate to house a ballistic missile sensor. Turkey already hosts a U.S. radar and the Netherlands has equipped ships with radars. The United States also has four ships in Spain as part of the defenses, while all NATO nations are contributing funding. "Ballistic missile defense sites could pose threats to the stability and strategic assets of the Russian Federation," Russia's ambassador to NATO, Alexander Grushko, told Reuters last month. 'Rogue states' U.S. officials dismiss the Russian view as "strategic paranoia" and blame Moscow for breaking off talks with NATO in 2013 that were aimed at explaining how the shield would operate. The United States says Russia was seeking a treaty limiting the capability and range of ballistic missile interceptors. "No government could agree to that," U.S. adviser Bell said. Russian officials are concerned about technology that the United States says it does not have, including a missile defense interceptor capable of speeds of 10 km (6.2 miles) per second that could destroy Russian missiles. First agreed by the U.S. government 2007 and then cancelled and relaunched by then newly-elected U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009, the missile defense shield's stated aim is to protect North America and Europe from so-called rogue states such as Iran and North Korea. That is part of a U.S. strategy that includes missile interceptors in California and Alaska. Ballistic missiles, which differ from cruise missiles because they leave the earth's atmosphere, can travel distances of up 3,000 km (1,875 miles). Despite a historic deal between world powers and Tehran to limit Iran's nuclear program, the West believes Iran's Revolutionary Guards continue to develop ballistic missile technology, carrying out two tests late last year. "They are looking for greater distance and accuracy," said Douglas Barrie, an aerospace defense specialist at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "They can still miss by hundreds of meters, but that doesn't rule out firing against a city or a very large airfield."
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Internal Rifts Could Impact Fight Against IS, Experts Sayby webdesk@voanews.com (Pamela Dockins)
While a U.S.-led coalition works to stamp out Islamic State-linked atrocities, such as Wednesday's bombings in Baghdad that killed dozens, concern is growing that the effort could be hampered by internal political turmoil in Iraq, as well as in Turkey. In Iraq, frustration over the perceived failure of the nation's politicians to reform a policy system that many Iraqis blame for corruption boiled over in late April when supporters of Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad’s Green Zone. The Iraqi government has since tried to clamp down on protests, but underlying challenges remain between the country’s highly polarized political factions. It is the type of political chaos that serves the interests of Iraq’s enemies, mainly the Islamic State, said U.N. Special Representative to Iraq Jan Kubis in a recent briefing to the Security Council. Experts say securing a legitimate and responsive government could be the key to long-term stabilization in Iraq. “Ultimately, we don’t see insurgencies or terrorists activities on this scale in countries where governments are responsive to the needs and demands of their populations,” said Nussaibah Younis, a Middle East analyst at the Atlantic Council. Experts call for two-pronged approach She noted that the U.S.–led focus on military efforts to oust Islamic State militants in Iraq could have limited results. “We are not going to really tackle the root causes that are driving radicalization in Iraq unless we really deal with what these protesters are pointing out - which is that the Iraqi government is corrupt and inefficient and has really failed to deliver even the most basic services,” said Younis. In Turkey, the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu this month leaves the U.S. without one of its key allies in the country. Perry Cammack of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace observes, “It complicates things insofar as Davutoglu was very well known in Washington. He was, of course, the architect of Turkish foreign policy over the last several years.” He added, though, that the U.S. has little leverage in Turkey’s internal politics. Turkey has been a strong partner in the anti-Islamic State coalition, according to the State Department, and it says that is something it expects to continue despite the country’s political dynamics. “Turkey is not blind to the threat that it faces on its own, its own soil along its border, so Turkey is very aware,” said State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau. A key concern for the U.S. in both countries, analysts point up, is striking a balance between offering support without being perceived as meddling.
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Netherlands sees sharp increase in people choosing euthanasia due to 'mental health problems'by syndication@telegraph.co.uk (Senay Boztas)
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 РБК |
Российского посла вызвали в МИД Латвии после высказываний в СМИ
РБК МИД Латвии вызвал для объяснений посла России Александра Вешнякова. Как сообщил пресс-секретарь латвийского ведомства, вызов дипломата связан с его высказываниями по широкому кругу вопросов, в том числе в интервью. Посол России в Латвии Александр Вешняков вызван в ... Посла России в Латвии вызвали в МИДLenta.ru Российского посла вызвали в МИД Латвии из-за «эмоциональных» высказыванийВзгляд МИД Латвии вызвал посла РФ для дачи объяснений по поводу высказываний в СМИРИА Новости ТАСС -НТВ.ru -Газета.Ru -Федеральное агентство новостей No.1 Все похожие статьи: 56 » |
Russian Observers Offer Different Views on Trump's Significance by webdesk@voanews.com (Victor Vasiliev)
A Russian political scientist says the world is alarmed by this year’s American presidential election campaign, which has “destroyed all the canons of political life in the United States.” Following his victories in Tuesday’s U.S. Republican Party presidential primaries in the states of West Virginia and Nebraska, the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has begun considering possible running mates. It is increasingly likely that next November’s presidential election will see Trump face off against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Russian observers have been taking a closer look at the meaning of the billionaire real estate mogul’s meteoric political ascent. “Every sneeze by the global superpower causes convulsions of the world order," political scientist Lilia Shevtsova told VOA’s Russian service, adding that the world is increasingly worried that the next U.S. president will pursue an “aggressive” policy with “destructive” tendencies. In Shevtsova's view, the current upheaval in American politics was inevitable, even though its precise shape was hard to predict. "We are talking here not just about American history, but also about a crisis that appeared long ago in liberal democracy, which had ceased to respond to internal and external challenges,” she said. “We see in Western society the dysfunctionality of certain democratic institutions, the inability of governments to rein in the financial oligarchy, the growing problem of [in]equality and [in]justice, the unwillingness of those in power to cope with the wave of migrants, and their confusion in the face of external threats and … an onslaught by an ‘anti-liberal international’ [movement].” The result, said Shevtsova, is the kind of situation described by the British historian Arnold Toynbee — a buildup of challenges that the system cannot respond to, leading to a crisis. "This crisis manifests itself in the paralysis of the governing structures of the [European Union], and the growing influence of right-wing and left-wing political forces; the threatened ‘Brexit’ [Britain’s possible exit from the EU], and the emergence of authoritarianism in certain EU member countries — for example, in Hungary,” she said. “The emergence in the U.S. of the socialist [Bernie] Sanders and the populist Trump as presidential candidates is another manifestation of liberal democracy’s systemic crisis.” According to Shevtsova, much will depend on how the United States copes with "its own dysfunctionality,” given that that it is not only the leader, but the factor that “cements” the West. Thus far, the prognosis is not good, she added. "The U.S. is entering a new phase of the electoral race, and Trump’s participation as the Republican candidate will make this race the dirtiest in American history,” Shevtsova said, adding that Trump could become the next U.S. president, which would prolong the current “period of disorientation in the sole superpower.” For his part, Vladimir Sogrin, editor in chief of the Russian magazine Modern and Contemporary History, is less alarmed about the possibility of a Trump presidency. He told VOA that while the presumptive Republican nominee employs rhetoric and ideas that are “demagogic,” his success has been due to the fact that he has tapped into “the latent sentiment of ‘white America,' which is tired of political correctness” and wants the country to define itself as a “melting pot,” not on the basis of “multiculturalism.” According to Sogrin, Trump has taken all of this into account and is offering a “renovationist agenda” that could put him in the White House.
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Raccoon cuts power to 39,000 in Washington after breaking into substation by syndication@telegraph.co.uk (Our Foreign Staff)
U.S. Holocaust Museum Calls On Iran To Disavow Cartoon Contest by support@pangea-cms.com (RFE/RL)
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has called on the Iranian government to disavow a Holocaust cartoon contest that is due to kick off next week.
 RT |
Russian serviceman killed in Syria escorting monitoring convoy
RT Anton Erygin fell under militant fire as he guarded a Russian center for reconciliation convoy in Homs province on Monday, a spokesman for Russia's Hmeimim airbase said. "The soldier was transported to a hospital where Russian military doctors fought ... and more » |
Kerry Could Face Barbs at Anti-Corruption Summitby webdesk@voanews.com (Luis Ramirez)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry may be gently scolded Thursday when he attends an anti-corruption summit hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron in London. “Corruption is an enemy of progress and the root of so many of the world’s problems,” Cameron said before the summit, which will call into question the practices of rich nations like Britain and the United States. The summit’s aim will be to agree on mechanisms to expose and punish corruption. The meeting will include leaders of Afghanistan, Colombia and Nigeria. In remarks to Oxford University students Wednesday, Kerry said the U.S. was working with countries like Nigeria to combat corruption. "Nigeria saw tens of billions of dollars taken out of the country. Those were schools, those were health care, those were infrastructure, new jobs, hidden in bank accounts around the world," he said. The focus will be not only on corruption in the developing world, but also on transparency in rich nations. This is due in part to revelations in the so-called Panama Papers about how and where the world’s rich and powerful hide their money. “We have moved away from this idea that it’s the African kleptocrats who are involved in corruption. It’s clear today that financial secrecy is provided by rich countries like the U.S. and the U.K.,” Alex Cobham, director at research at the Tax Justice Network, a London advocacy group, told VOA. Cameron’s summit is taking place after the Panama Papers leaks revealed his late, wealthy father ran an offshore fund to avoid paying British taxes. Later revelations showed the prime minister had a stake in the dealings, something the British leader has admitted. Cameron’s government has been under pressure to carry out reforms that include a public register of British companies with overseas holdings. There is also pressure for Britain to extend reforms to its offshore possessions after the Panama Papers revealed more than half of the 210,000 companies exposed were registered in the British Virgin Islands. The Panama Papers leaks named relatively few Americans and no high-ranking public officials. But anti-corruption advocates see the United States as a major area of concern when it comes to allowing tax evasion and money laundering in states like Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming, which critics say permit businesses to be formed inexpensively and secretively. Kerry may speak in support of reforms in the United States, but expectations are tempered by the fact the U.S. government’s power is limited, since the states have the right to set many of their own banking regulations. Bolstering Kerry’s position at the summit will be steps the Obama administration unveiled this month to combat money laundering, corruption and tax evasion. The actions by the U.S. Treasury Department include requiring financial institutions to find out and verify who actually owns and profits from companies that make use of their services. That information will then be available to law enforcement agencies. But anti-corruption campaigners said the top U.S. diplomat would get a message, quietly but repeatedly, at the anti-corruption summit. “He will hear the world identifies the U.S. as the biggest noncooperative jurisdiction,” Cobham said. Seriousness of purpose Analysts say Washington and London are taking the need for anti-corruption reforms seriously. Both see it as a matter of legitimacy and security, especially following the financial crisis of the past decade that has resulted in poverty, unemployment and frustration among millions. Tim Evans, a professor of political economy at London’s Middlesex University, sees the summit and, more broadly, the drive to combat corruption as signs of concern among the elite nations. “They’re worried at the loss of legitimacy that will come from rich and powerful people being able to evade taxes and get away with it," he said. "So, I think there’s huge pressure on elites to be seen to be engaging the subject and to be doing something about it.” “Given some of the things, some of the riots and problems we’ve seen in Europe and in the United States in recent years, the politicians are fearful and they’re becoming focused on trying to rebuild trust and transparency,” Evans told VOA. The one-day summit in London is off to a somewhat awkward start after the British prime minister was overheard on camera, in a conversation with Queen Elizabeth, describing Afghanistan and Nigeria as "fantastically corrupt."
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Congress Confronts Americans' Opiate Abuseby webdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)
Gary Mendell lost his son to drug addiction and suicide four-and-a-half years ago. After eight tries at rehabilitation, Brian Mendell had finally conquered his addiction but he couldn’t escape the stigma of his battle. “He took his own life out of shame and guilt over what he had done to us as a family and what he had done to his life,” Mendell said. He is one of the millions of family members across the United States who have suffered as a result of America’s growing opiate abuse epidemic. Mendell founded the Shatterproof Foundation as a way of fighting an epidemic that will kill 30,000 Americans this year. The U.S. Congress took up that fight this week with a series of bills addressing a startling reality: the United States represents only five percent of the global population but Americans consume 80 percent of the world’s supply of pain medication. Opiate use in the United States has quadrupled since 1999, helped along by low cost and ease of access to opiate pain-killers and a lack of understanding about their dangers. The wide-ranging pieces of legislation reflect the complexity of addressing an opiate abuse problem that has only received major attention in the past decade, with policy-makers and healthcare professionals struggling to care for the 4.5 million people in the U.S. who are estimated to be addicted to prescription opiates. ‘Dying is happening every hour’ “The dying is happening every hour, every day, across this country,” said Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican from Indiana sponsoring a resolution under consideration this week that would address the so-called “culture” of prescribing pain medications too quickly and easily to patients and without consideration of the possible dangers. A recent review found physicians checked a patient’s history only 14 percent of the time before prescribing an opiate pain-killer. Brooks’ resolution is one of 18 initiatives up for votes this week in the House of Representatives. The Senate is considering similar legislation and, in a rare bi-partisan effort, both Democrats and Republicans hope to unite their efforts for the president to sign one comprehensive bill into law. “There’s not a silver bullet for this problem,” said Bradley Stein, a RAND Corporation senior scientist who studies government-level efforts to combat opiate addiction. Stein said the multiple pieces of legislation address the problem using a variety of approaches. “I’m encouraged seeing the aspects of the legislation trying to reduce the supply of opioids out there that may be contributing to the epidemic,” he said, “as well as efforts to increase access to some of the most effective treatments that we know are really needed to help people who are struggling with addiction.” The bi-partisan effort has met with praise but Gary Mendell shares concerns with some House Democrats about how the structure and funding of the legislation would work in practice. Changing perspectives Mendell noted the legislation as it stands now is not yet funded, although that could change when the House combines its work with the Senate. If the structure remains in place, states would receive grants from existing funds to implement the programs and approaches. “Only when money is appropriated will there be any effect at all,” Mendell said. He has also advocated for a number of low or no-cost approaches – including mandatory education of physicians on drug prescription guidelines and widespread stocking of kits that provide antidotes to opiate overdoses. But Mendell said the key approach in the battle will be understanding opiate addiction as a medical issue – not a subject of shame. “He often told me – ‘Dad, I don’t feel like a patient. I feel like an outcast,” Mendell said of his son. “He should have felt like a patient treated with a disease and he wasn’t. Society looked at him and said ‘Why don’t you just stop? You’re a loser’ and that’s the message he got from society.” The stakes for changing perspectives and finding effective treatments are critical. “This is a problem that affects all aspects of American society,” said RAND Corporation's Bradley Stein. “It affects all communities and as it has become more common it’s become one of those situations where increasing numbers of people know someone struggling with this addiction.” House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledged the need for understanding in the battle against opiate abuse during his weekly press conference Wednesday. “No one should seek help and receive mistreatment in return,” Ryan said, noting the effort was personal for many members of Congress. “This is not just about process. This is not just about legislation. This is about saving people’s lives,” he added.
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USA TODAY |
US military: Baghdad's bloodiest day this year reflects ISIL's desperation
USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The Islamic State's horrific bombings in Baghdad on Wednesday, the deadliest this year, reflect "desperate" attempts by the militant group to reverse a series of defeats by Iraqi forces and a U.S.-led coalition, the U.S. military said. and more » |
Chicago Tribune |
FBI offers reward for man suspected of shooting Central Illinois officer
Chicago Tribune The FBI and Illinois State Police are searching for a man who shot a police officer. Dracy "Clint" Pendleton, 35, is believed to be armed. The FBI issued an arrest warrant and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Pendleton's arrest ... FBI offering $10000 reward for arrest of Dracy PendletonWSIL TV all 25 news articles » |
Germany's minister of defence announced Tuesday the first buildup of military personnel since the Cold War ended 25 years ago.
Bloomberg |
FBI Has Sights on Larger Battle Over Encryption After Apple Feud
Bloomberg After buying a software tool to access a dead terrorist's encrypted iPhone, the FBI is exploring how to make broader use of the hack while bracing for a larger battle involving encrypted text messages, e-mails and other data, Director James Comey said. FBI director warns that feds will bring more encryption-related casesArs Technica all 2 news articles » |
James Comey, the F.B.I. director, declined to say on Wednesday whether the investigation would be finished before the presidential election in November.
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Senior Pentagon leaders and their Russian counterparts on Wednesday fine tuned plans to ensure warplanes from both countries operating in the skies above Syria stay out of each other's way.
Acting Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs Elissa Slotkin and Joint Staff Director for Strategic Plans and Policy Lt. Gen. ...
Washington Post |
Saudi military threatens to move forces into Yemeni capital if peace talks fail
Washington Post Saudi Arabia will send troops into Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, if peace talks between the Saudi-backed government and Shiite rebels fail, a military spokesman said Wednesday, raising the specter of extended conflict. Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, a spokesman ... and more » |
Los Angeles Times |
FBI says fewer Americans now try to join Islamic State
Los Angeles Times The number of Americans trying to join Islamic State overseas has dropped substantially since last summer, FBI Director James B. Comey said Wednesday, as the terrorist group has come under increasing pressure. FBI agents have tracked an average of one ... FBI director: No 'external deadline' for probe involving Clinton emailsWashington Post all 70 news articles » |
The Hill |
FBI Director Questions Hillary Clinton's Description of FBI Email Investigation
ABC News FBI Director James Comey speaks on cyber security at Georgetown University on April 26, 2016 in Washington. Comey addressed the sixth annual International Conference on "Cyber Engagement: Discussing Critical Policy Alternatives," held by Georgetown ... FBI head challenges Clinton's description of email probeThe Hill FBI head: Islamic State brand losing power in USU.S. News & World Report Comey defends FBI's purchase of iPhone hacking toolWashington Post New York Times -CBS News -NPR all 75 news articles » |
The Detroit News |
FBI investigating Detroit's demolition program
The Detroit News The FBI's Detroit Office on Wednesday confirmed its probe of the program amid several other ongoing audits and investigations. Late last month, the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or SIGTARP, sent the city ... FBI joins in probe of Detroit's demolition programDetroit Free Press all 2 news articles » |
FBI Director James B. Comey said Wednesday that he is not letting political events dictate a deadline for completing the bureau's investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information involving Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.
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Lack of Plan for ISIS Detainees Raises Human Rights Concernsby By CHARLIE SAVAGE, MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and ERIC SCHMITT
The United States, determined not to get back into detention operations, has no strategy in place for handling potentially thousands of war prisoners.
AlterNet |
FBI Is Manufacturing Terror Plots Against Jewish-Americans, Driving Divisions Between Jews and Muslims
AlterNet Since 9/11, the FBI and NYPD have solved dozens of terror plots that its own agents and assets manufactured, including some against synagogues. Even if the plots were less than real, the foiled “attacks” have greatly impacted both the defendants and ... |
KCCI Des Moines |
FBI reveals new details in massive statewide meth bust
KCCI Des Moines And it causes a lot of ills to our society," said FBI Special Agent Randy Thysse, who heads 250 federal, state, county and city law enforcement officers. "Our goal is to stamp out drug use in the Midwest and Iowa. The message to that next generation of ... FBI: 5 Dubuque meth labs busted during 'Operation Ice Pirates'Dubuque Telegraph Herald Police arrest Dubuque man wanted in connection to meth ringKCRG all 5 news articles » |
BEIJING (AP) - Upping the ante in the feud over who is responsible for rising tensions in the South China Sea, China on Wednesday said repeated U.S. Navy patrols in the area are forcing it to boostthe defense capabilities of the islands it controls and may require it to ...
Afghan officials on Wednesday morning delivered the son of Pakistan’s former prime minister to the that country’s ambassador in Kabul after a joint U.S.-Afghan special forces operation rescued him from his al-Qaida captors near the Pakistani border on Tuesday.
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Fox News |
Top Clinton aide Mills reportedly walks out of FBI interview about emails
Fox News Senior Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills and her lawyer walked out of a recent interview with theFBI about Clinton's private email system after an investigator asked a question Mills believed to be off limits, according to a published report. The ... Clinton aide is grilled by FBI, takes OUTRAGEOUS action when she's asked about emailsBizPac Review Hillary Clinton's Problems Mount As Top Aide Reportedly Storms Out Of FBI InterviewThe Inquisitr FBI's Comey: I feel 'pressure' to quickly finish Clinton email probePolitico American Thinker (blog)-USA TODAY all 23 news articles » |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - When it comes to spying on North Korea, rival South Korea seems to be wrong almost as much as it's right.
Seoul's intelligence agents get battered in the press and by lawmakers for their gaffes, including one regarding Ri Yong Gil, the former head of ...
CNN |
Russia's military might: Putin's foreign policy in numbers
CNN And it appears that even when President Vladimir Putin is punished for these interventions with foreign sanctions, they failed to dint his popularity back home. Russia flexes its military might in Syria. Indeed, even after his country waded deeper into ... and more » |
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'An inane jumble': Trump foreign policy splits GOP on issue party once agreed onby Spencer Ackerman in New York and Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
Sources believe defense spending reveals the extreme tension between Trump and the traditional Republican national security establishment
A chasm between the Republican party’s national-security wing and its likely presidential nominee Donald Trump has been exposed as politicians on Capitol Hill wrestle with the annual US defense budget.
The Senate armed services committee is due on Wednesday to start considering the annual national defense authorization act (NDAA), which was passed with bipartisan support by counterparts in the House in late April.
Continue reading...
Ash Carter is expected today to announce leadership and structural changes in his DIUX Silicon Valley outpost.
Longtime Hillary Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal couldn’t explain Wednesday why Clinton had elected to use a private email server as secretary of state.
Blumenthal, whose emails to Clinton on a variety of issues appeared all over the email dump by the State Department, also wouldn’t say this week whether the FBI had interviewed him in its criminal investigation into the server.
“Why did she set up a personal server?” CNN host Alisyn Camerota asked on New Day. “That’s beyond just using one device for personal and professional emails. Why did she need the personal server?”
“Well, that’s a question I don’t know the answer to, and it’s a question that, uh, uh, she’s, uh, explained, so you’d have to, um, go to her explanation about that,” Blumenthal said.
Clinton has repeatedly referred to the FBI probe as a security review, and she reiterated last weekend on CBS that she wants it to be “wrapped up” soon. She has acknowledged it was a “mistake” to use the unsecured server, but she has denied any criminal wrongdoing or mishandling of classified material.
“I ask you because the emails that have been released show that you were in regular contact with her. You were giving her advice on all sorts of policy things and political things,” Camerota said. “Did you talk to her about setting up a personal server?”
“Oh, no,” Blumenthal said. “I had nothing to do with that.”
Camerota asked if he would have told her it was as bad idea if he knew she was using a personal server.
“I have no idea,” Blumenthal said. “We’re old friends, and when you’re a friend of somebody who’s in the middle of politics, you get caught up in politics, too.”
The post Blumenthal Can’t Explain Why Hillary Clinton Used a Private Email Server appeared first onWashington Free Beacon.
Sidney Blumentha, a former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, said he was confident that there will be no more bombshells in the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.
As The Hill reported, host Alisyn Camerota asked Blumenthal whether a bombshell may be floating towards Clinton’s campaign as it turns toward the general election against Donald Trump.
“Let’s start with Hillary Clinton’s emails. The big fear of many Democrats who I’ve spoken to, is Hillary Clinton will become the nominee of the Democratic Party and something will happen during the general,” Camerota said. “There will be some bombshell. Another shoe will drop and it will scuttle her race. How confident are you that that won’t happen?”
“I’m very confident that that will not happen,” Blumenthal said.
“How do you know?” Camerota asked.
“My understanding is that this is a security review. It’s certainly not a criminal investigation,” Blumenthal said.
“But it is an investigation,” Camerota said.
“It’s an inquiry into whether or not anyone intentionally put classified information where it shouldn’t be. And my understanding is that they will conclude and the Department of Justice will issue a statement at the end that that was not the case,” Blumenthal said. “And then all those who were involved in this kind of, political hysteria, will have to unravel it.”
Blumenthal is a controversial figure among some Democrats. Although he is close to the Clintons, the Obama Administration forbade him from working for Clinton in the Department of State as an adviser. Nevertheless, he did have many email exchanges with Clinton where he provided her with advice.
The post Blumenthal: ‘I’m Very Confident’ There Aren’t Any More Clinton Email Bombshells Comingappeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
An upcoming NATO summit should make a clear statement about the alliance's policies toward Russia, according to Polish officials who will host the meeting in Warsaw.
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